Separate non-injury crash on U.S. 33 WB occurred around same time as fatal wreck
A Columbus woman died Wednesday afternoon, Oct. 22, in a multi-vehicle crash involving two commercial trucks on the eastbound lanes of U.S. Route 33 east of State Route 540.
Troopers of the Marysville Post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol said a 2018 Kia Rio driven by Ismahan Abdikadir Nagati, 26, was disabled in the left eastbound lane about 4:13 p.m. when it was struck from behind by a 2020 Mack dump truck operated by Steven Moore, 60, of DeGraff.
The impact pushed the Kia into the right lane, where it collided with a 2021 International tractor-trailer driven by Kenneth Bird, 69, of Cardington, troopers said. The dump truck then overturned, spilling its load of gravel onto the roadway before going off the right side of the highway. The semi also overturned after traveling off the right side of the road, while the Kia came to rest off the shoulder.
Nagati was pronounced dead at the scene, troopers report.
Moore was flown by MedFlight helicopter to Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in serious condition. Bird was taken to Memorial Hospital of Union County in Marysville with minor injuries.
Responding agencies included the Logan County Sheriff’s Office, Ohio Department of Transportation, Perry Township Fire and EMS, Bellefontaine Fire and EMS, Huntsville Fire and EMS, and Top’s Towing.
Both eastbound lanes of U.S. 33 remained closed for several hours as crews cleared debris and gravel from the scene. ODOT established a detour directing traffic onto State Route 540 and State Route 292.
The crash remains under investigation.
• Deputies also responded Wednesday to a non-injury crash on U.S. Route 33 westbound, about a mile east of State Route 540, occurring around the same time as the nearby fatal crash in the eastbound lanes.
Kara Wolters, 23, of Maria Stein, was driving a westbound 2018 Jeep Cherokee about 4:10 p.m. on U.S. 33 when she began braking for traffic, deputies report. A westbound 2022 Chevrolet Silverado traveling behind the Jeep then struck it in the rear.
Neither Wolters nor the Chevrolet’s driver, Brian Anderson, 53, of Dublin, were injuried. Each was wearing a sealt belt.
Anderson was cited for failure to maintain assured clear distance ahead.
Shafer’s Towing removed the disabled vehicles from the scene.
